Coke-grapple.



No. 791,944. PATENTED JUNE 6, 1905. W. M. PUGH.

COKE GRAPPLE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1,

No. 791,944. PATENTED JUNE 6-, 1905. W. M. PUGH.

I 00KB GRAPPLE.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 4, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' ward and inwardly, as shown.

UNITED STATES Patented June 6, 1905.

PATENT EErcE.

WILLIAM M. PUGH, OF POOAHONTAS, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO J. T.SANDERS, OF POOAHONTAS, VIRGINIA.

COKE-GRAPPLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 791,944, dated June 6,1905.

Application filed November 4, 1904. Serial No. 231,458.

To (LZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TILLIAM M. PUGH, a citi zen of the United States ofAmerica, and a resident of Pocahontas, county of Tazewell, State ofVirginia, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements inOoke-Grapples, of which the following is a full and clear specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective View of the grapple open; Fig. 2, a transverse verticalsectional view showing it closed, and Fig. 3 a vertical longitudinalsection on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

The object of this invention is to provide a simple and durable devicewhich will be espeeially adapted for hoisting coke into freightcars andwhich to that end is rendered easily operable and of large capacity, asmore fully hereinafter set forth.

To the accomplishment of this object and such others as may hereinafterappear the in vention consists of the parts and combination of partshereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed out in theappended claims, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which the same referencecharacters designate like parts throughout the several views.

The hoisting rope or chain a is connected to a bail 6, whose ends areconnected pivotally, by means of depending links 0, with the respectiveends of a rod (Z, running the full length of the grapple.

The tines c are connected at their upper inner ends by eyes formed attheir ends to said red (I, the eyes being properly spaced on the rod bya series of short spacing-tubes f. There are two series of tines, oneextending to one side of the rod and the other extending to the otherside, and both series curve clown- The tines of each series are furtherbraced and spaced by a rod into whose lower edge the tines are notched,being held in these notches by the plates 71 bolted on the under side ofthe bar.

Pivotally connected to each of the bars by depending brackets z' arethree pairs of links 1', which incline inwardly and do wnwardly and arepivotally connected together along the center of the grapple by means ofa round rod in, the lower ends of the links being properly spaced bysuitable tube-sections Z slipped on the rod. The pivots of the upperends of the links consist, preferably, of parallel rods m, one rodserving as the pivot for one series of links and the other rod servingas the pivot for the series at the other side. To properly space theupper ends of each pair of links, a sleeve a is slipped on rod m betweeneach pair of links.

With the foregoing construction it will be observed that to spread thetine-sections to open the grapple it is simply necessary to lift rod kthat is, bring it nearer to the parallel rod (Zand vice versa to closethe grapplethat is, bring the lower pointed ends of the tines togetheror near together. I keep the grapple normally closed by means of aseries of coiled springs 0, connecting opposite pairs of links 7' at apoint above the rod 70, and in order to open or spread the tine-sectionsI pivotally connect to the center of rod it a pair of links 39, and tothe upper ends of these links I pivotally connect the lower end of theopeninglever g, which is pivotally mounted on rod (Z about midway thelength of the rod by being clamped by a suitable clip r to one of thespacing-sleeves f. The free end of this lever (1 extends outward beyondthe tines and is adapted to have attached to it a trip cord or chain c.

When the free end of the lever is pulled down by the trip-cord or byhand, the rod is raised through the medium of links j, thereby spreadingor opening the tine-section, as shown in Fig. 1. To hold the parts inthis opened position, I provide a ratchet if on one of the bars 9, intowhich the sharpened edge of the lever q is engaged, thereby locking thesections open against the tendency of the springs 0 to close them. Toclose the grapple, it is simply necessary to disengage the lever g fromthe ratchet, whereupon the springs will close the grapple upon anymaterial that is confined between the sets of tines, and should thesprings fail to close the grapple their action may be assisted by anattendant. Aguard u is mounted on bar 9 adjacent to the ratchet ttoassist in guiding the lever into engagement with the ratchet. A seriesof holes a; is provided in each of the links 1) in order that thedepending end of lever q may be adjustably connected to said links,whereby the opposite sets of tines may be made to approach each other asnear as may be necessary to prevent the material being handled fromfalling out of the grapple when the same is raised.

I propose using my grapple in connection with a truck or motor-vehiclewhich may be moved about from place to place as occasion may demand. Thetruck or vehicle will be provided with the usual mechanism for windingup and payingout the hoisting-rope with a swinging boom of the usualconstruction. In this way the grapple will be especially adapted forloading coke into railway-cars standing on a track ad jaccnt to the pileof coke.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various embodimentsof the invention are possible, and I therefore do not wish to be limitedto the exact arrangement and construction shown.

\Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination, a central longitudinal rod and means connected to itfor suspending it, tines pivotally connected to the rod and extendingout in opposite directions, a bar connecting each series of said tines,a series of links pivotally connected to each of said bars, andextending downward and inward, a rod connecting the lower inner ends ofthese links, springs connecting these links above the connecting-rod, alever pivotally mounted on the tine-carrying rod, means for pivotallyconnecting one end of this lever to the link-carrying rod, and means forlocking this lever when it is drawn down to elevate the rod connectingthe lower end of the links, substantially as set forth.

2. In combination, a central longitudinal rod and means connected to itfor suspending it, tines pivotally connected to the rod and extendingout in opposite directions, a bar connecting each series of said tines,a series of links pivotally connected to each of said. bars, andextending downward and inward, a rod connecting the lower inner ends ofthese links, a lever pivotally mounted on the tine-carrying rod, meansfor pivotally connecting one end of this lever to the link-carrying rod,and means for locking this lever when it is drawn down to elevate therod connecting the lower end of the links, substantially as set forth.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rod runninglongitudinally of the device, means connected to this rod for suspendingit, tines pivotally connected to this rod and extending outwardlytherefrom in opposite directions, a bar connecting each series of tines,a link pivoted to the under side of each bar and extending downwardlyand inwardly, means pivotally connecting the inner ends of these linkstogether, and means for raising and lowering the pivotally-connectedends of said links.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rod runninglongitudinally of the device, means connected to this rod for suspendingit, tines pivotally connected to this rod and extending outwardlytherefrom in opposite directions, a bar connecting each series of tines,a link pivoted to the under side of each bar and extending downwardlyand inwardly, means pivotally connecting the inner ends of these linkstogether, and means for raising and lowering the pivotally-connectedends of said links, said means being mounted upon the aforesaid mainrod.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rod runninglongitudinally of the device, means connected to this rod for suspendingit, tines pivotally connected to this rod and extending outwardlytherefrom in opposite directions, a bar connecting each series of tines,a link pivoted to the under side of each bar and extending downwardlyand inwardly, means pivotally connecting the inner ends of these linkstogether, and. means for raising and lowering the pivotally-connectedends of said links, said means consisting of a lever pivotally mountedupon said rod, means connecting one end of this lever to thepivotallyconnected ends of the links, and means for locking the lever.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a main rod runninglongitudinally of the device, means connected to this rod for suspendingit, tines pivotally connected to this red and extending outwardlytherefrom in opposite directions, a bar connecting each series of tines,a link pivoted to the under side of each bar and extending downwardlyand inwardly, means pivotally connecting the inner ends of these linkstogether, and means for raising and lowering the pivotally-connectedends of said links, and a spring connecting said links together at apoint above their pivotally-connected ends.

In testimony whereof I hereunto allix my signature, in the presence ofwitnesses, this 26th day of October, 1904:.

\V. M. PUGH.

Witnesses V. M. MINTER,

his J. T. X SANDERS,

mark

J. B. MARTIN.

